Facebook is Selling Your Kids

A class action suit filed in the Superior court of Los Angeles claims that Facebook sells information from kids’ profiles without their parents’ consent. The suit was filed by the parents of a couple of LA County kids, David Cohen and Shelby Orland. It claims that Facebook lures kids in with the “authenticity of the experience of communicating with friends” and then markets their info to advertisers. Worse, Facebook allegedly sweetens the deal for advertisers by claiming the kid’s name constitutes an endorsement of whatever product it’s attached to. The suit alleges that Facebook entices advertisers by telling them that this “endorsement” can give the advertiser a 400% return on investment. All this is against California law, which says the name and likeness of a minor can’t be used for profit without a parent’s permission. Robin Cohen and Marcia Orland, the mothers of the kids named in the filing, want Facebook to stop the practice and pay damages.